Man spat in Taranaki police officer’s face during callout to domestic matter

Police were responding to a domestic matter when Jason Ian Draper spat in the face of one of the officers.

A man with a history of assaulting police committed the “disgraceful and repulsive” act of spitting in the face of an officer before running away and barricading himself in a bedroom.

Officers were called to the New Plymouth home of Jason Ian Draper’s ex-partner on March 5 this year following reports he made threats against the woman.

She wanted Draper, 31, removed from the property, and when police arrived around 6.30pm, he was detained for the purpose of being served with a protection order.

But matters quickly escalated as Draper became “aggressive and assaultive” toward the officers.

It culminated with him spitting at one of them, New Plymouth District Court heard on Wednesday.

Draper’s saliva landed on the officer’s face and mouth and on his clothes.

He then ran from the hallway and barricaded himself in a room. Eventually, he was talked out of the room and arrested.

In explanation for his assault on the officer, he told police, “I’m sorry, I know I shouldn’t have done it.”

Draper’s remorse was also evident in an interview he had with a probation officer who was preparing his pre-sentence report.

Draper appeared in New Plymouth District Court on Wednesday. Photo / Tara Shaskey

At the sentencing, Judge Gregory Hikaka said the report stated he had shown remorse and concern for the harm he had caused both the officer and his ex-partner.

Draper presented as very mature and accepted full responsibility, the report said.

He was under the influence of alcohol and methamphetamine at the time of the offending and had “lost himself”.

Defence lawyer Kylie Pascoe described the offending as “disgraceful and repulsive”, which she said Draper accepted.

The catalyst for his offending, she told the court, was his “major” issue with alcohol.

Since the offending, Draper, who is in fulltime employment, had self-referred to alcohol and drug counselling and was also attending a non-violence programme.

Pascoe submitted a sentence of supervision coupled with either community detention or reparation would be appropriate.

Police prosecutor Detective Sergeant Dave McKenzie said the sentence should include, at the very least, a “significant” amount of community work.

McKenzie said the officer who was spat on did not want any reparation but was happy for a donation to instead be made to charity.

Judge Hikaka said Draper had amassed nine convictions between 2010 and 2021, including a conviction in 2018 for assaulting a police officer.

He said, on the face of it, Draper had an issue with his behaviour being pulled into focus by the authorities.

The judge said Pascoe’s description of the offending was fair and added it was also demeaning, degrading and high-risk behaviour.

He noted, however, Draper, had met with the officer and apologised for his actions.

The judge told him that given the positive comments about him in the pre-sentence report, he “could do well”.

“But I suggest to you that being alcohol-free and drug-free will both be factors and really enhance the decreased risk of you ever getting into trouble again.”

On an admitted charge of assaulting a police officer, Draper was sentenced to 150 hours of community work and 12 months of supervision.

He was also ordered to pay $500 reparation to Women’s Refuge.

“I don’t expect to see you back,” the judge told him.

Tara Shaskey joined NZME in 2022 as a News Director and Open Justice reporter. She has been a reporter since 2014 and previously worked at Stuff, where she covered crime and justice, arts and entertainment and Māori issues.